Currently there is no single body for the rail industry which provides expert guidance and input into railway health and wellbeing standards and guidance. Although all transport operators make use of health providers there has been very little time provided for experts to think strategically or create standardised approaches to health management in what is a fragmented operational setting.
There are several issues which can arise from the existing situation they include:
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Lack of a consistent approach to health assessments and supporting guidance / company standards increasing overall cost to the industry
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No continual input from the health and wellbeing professions to inform railway strategies and policies to improve its capability to manage people
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A lack of knowledge and diversity to serve railway companies health and wellbeing needs
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A health and wellbeing market that struggles to provide value to rail
To resolve these issues it is suggested that a Health and Wellbeing Professions Committee be set up and be linked to ARIOPS.
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The purpose of the HWPROC is to:
Provide specialist/expert advice to enhance rail industry’s health and wellbeing strategies
Align with and develop the railway health and wellbeing roadmap with specific reference to the Health Knowledge strategic theme
Cooperate to create a value added health and wellbeing supply chain
Undertake these activities with a view to improve the value of health and wellbeing investment within rail
The HWPROC will act as an industry resource for expert health and wellbeing advice and support. It will represent the knowledge of health and wellbeing professionals to the railway and create a link to the professional group, ARIOPS, which will utilise the input of its practitioner members. With rail industry support (through finance and manpower) the HWPROC will be set up to run for 3 years to work on three deliverables and prove it has value. Following this the group may continue, if successful, or else the additional railway contribution may cease with participants being able to freely walk away with no expectation of future investment.
ARIOPS shall work with the group to promote health and wellbeing, develop materials and engage stakeholders as part of its membership commitments whilst maintaining its status as an independent organisation.
Sub groups will be required to support project tasks and these will be formed of operational professionals.

Phase 1 - Strategy
Deliver a strategy to establish the preferred
Phase 2 - Guidance
Provide guidance on fitness for work standards and for the prevention of ill health to form way to enhance industry management of consistency (across companies) and completeness where required, and consider effectiveness of employee health; including:
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Scope of fitness stds
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How to manage risk
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How to present work related ill health
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Methods of application
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Costs of implementation
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Fitness to work implementation.
Guidance may also include:
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a holistic approach to health surveillance
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improving the life cycle from sickness to rehabilitation
 A ‘horizon scan’ for the next 10 years and be able to offer brief advice, guidelines and recommendations for the industry in light of forthcoming changes.
Phase 1 - Framework Phase 2 – Structural Support
Develop a railway specific set of Work with rail organisations, universities and colleges to promote the railway industry and provide wider
Occupational Health competencies opportunities for individuals to work in this sector, for example:
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providing rail specific teaching modules
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the provision of on-site placements and training opportunities
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enable better understanding of rail environments and the requirements of the industry
Advise the industry on what is needed from health providers in order to better guide the process of bid applications and acceptance and to strengthen the operational relationships with third party providers. The group should also:
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Encourage and enhance the use of existing resources (e.g. NHS provision)
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Seek to engage and include health and wellbeing providers with new and innovative approaches to health and wellbeing management
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Advise the industry on how to progress from a reactive to a proactive health management response, seeking to make use of novel health and wellbeing provision
Oversee the railway health and wellbeing strategic theme ‘Health Knowledge’
Within its sphere of expertise the group should make decisions in relation to the groups deliverables and refer to the Health and Wellbeing Policy Group for decisions that have business implications
Form strong links with external groups in order to use their resources and existing tools
Work with ARIOPS to benefit from its membership opinion
Provide a free resource. (A funding structure has been considered and is outlined below)
Be involved in the commercial discussions about providers
(e.g. costs of providers and approving bids)
Make decisions on business related issues
Undertake actual clinical work e.g. the day-to-day health assessments and other work of a clinician
Develop mandatory standards (although these could be advised upon in regards to railway group standards)
Impede the impartiality of ARIOPS